


The Solace Of Home (In Which Home Means Aperture)

by accurst_writer



Category: Portal (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Multi, Poly Relationship, because they deserve them, but not too much, confused feelings, doug's companion cube is sentient, for once people are happy, so beware if you don't want to see that, the cores get android bodies, there is some slightly implied caveline in there somewhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:01:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23191321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accurst_writer/pseuds/accurst_writer
Summary: After Portal 2, Chell returns to Aperture and falls in love. And falls in love. And falls in love again. Look, she's got a lot of love to give, okay?A story in which Chell, GLaDOS, Wheatley, and Doug can heal and find happiness in each other's arms.
Relationships: Chell/Doug Rattmann, Chell/GLaDOS, Chell/GLaDOS/Doug Rattmann/Wheatley, Chell/GLaDOS/Wheatley, Chell/Wheatley (Portal), Doug Rattmann/Wheatley, GLaDOS/Doug Rattmann, GlaDOS/Wheatley
Comments: 15
Kudos: 29





	1. - The Return

She missed them, Chell mused, as she stared out of the window at the stars. She missed Aperture, the cores, the turrets, even just the feel of the place. But most of all, she missed Wheatley and GLaDOS. In a way, she loved both of them. Wheatley was somewhere in space now, and GLaDOS was down in Aperture. 

Chell knew she should be thankful for what she had. She had somewhere safe to live, food to eat, a bed to sleep in. Yet every night, she dreamed of Aperture. 

Eventually, she made a decision. Her mind made up, she reached under her bed for her long fall boots and pulled them on. They felt remarkably familiar, considering she hadn’t worn them for at least six months. Quickly, she grabbed a rucksack, filled it with a few personal possessions, and walked to the door. With one last glance around her home, she walked off into the night, rucksack on her back and her companion cube under one arm.

GLaDOS was perfectly fine being alone. She didn’t need anyone, she decided. She could just spend the rest of her days watching Orange and Blue test. Right? After all, she had her birds to keep her company. She didn’t need anyone. Especially not humans. Especially not test ruining lunatics. Right?

Even as she flicked off the microphone, having failed another attempt to split Orange and Blue up, she felt one of Aperture’s doors open. Who would be coming in here? Her mind jumped immediately to the possibility that it was Chell before she caught herself. It wouldn’t be. 

Chell inhaled nervously as she knocked on the door of GLaDOS’s room. It slid open with a hiss, and she stepped over the threshold and found herself face-to-face with a giant AI. She gulped and put her cube down, before signing *Hello, GLaDOS.*

Eventually, they worked out a deal. They didn't have to spend too long working out a compromise. Chell would stay at Aperture, do tests, and provide GLaDOS with companionship (and romance). In return, GLaDOS would bring Wheatley (and Rick, and Space Core) back from space, and would support Chell in her polyamorous relationship with both Wheatley and her. It was no secret to them that Wheatley had a massive crush on Chell. 

“There we go. If I open a portal there-“ GLaDOS was working hard on Project “Bring The Cores Back From Space” and it was nearing completion. Chell was sitting, curled up on her companion cube, watching her girlfriend work. “Alright, stand back. And by stand back, I mean get out of here before you get sucked into space as well.”  
Chell pulled a face at having to leave, but went and stood outside the door.

Meanwhile, in space, Wheatley was tired. In the past month, Space Core had got bored of being in space, and now wanted to go home. That was something Wheatley could sympathise with.  
“Earth. Earth. Earth. Wanna go back. Back home. Earth.”  
“I know, mate. We both want to go back home.” He was lonely, Wheatley decided. Rick had drifted off into space somewhere out of Wheatley's communication range. What he wouldn't give to talk to Chell again. God, he even wanted to see GLaDOS. Anyone that didn’t talk about space or Earth constantly would be a start. 

His train of thought was interrupted by the familiar noise of a portal opening. He attempted to look around, but he couldn’t really control his movements due to the lack of gravity. He closed his eye and tried to listen, focusing on the noises, as though that would help him figure out what was going on. Before he could think too hard, however, he felt something claw-like grab onto him and opened his eye in a hurry. He managed to twist enough to look at Space Core, and noticed that he, too, had been grasped by a large metal claw. 

Wheatley only knew one person who had large metal claws like that, and his suspicions were confirmed as he was dragged backwards, through a portal, and found himself in Aperture.  
“Hello, moron.”  
Dread filled him as he was turned around to see GLaDOS’s face. Why would she pull him out of space? What horrific plans did she have for him?

“Hello! Just so you know, nothing to worry about, but there’s some dust on your head. It’s not a big deal, I just thought I’d let you know.” He monologues when he’s nervous, and he was certainly nervous.  
GLaDOS had the strangest reaction to being told there was dust on her head, however. She dropped him and Space Core, and Rick, who she must've pulled back as well, before turning herself upside down, shaking her head to try and get it off. 

The dust fell into a pile on the tiles below her, which she quickly moved, dropping the dust into the abyss below her chamber. Just then, Chell decided to knock on the door.  
“NO! Don’t come in! I’ll throw them out to you! It’s not safe for you in here, I need to sanitise the room!” The panic was evident in GLaDOS’s voice.

“What do you think that was about, luv? I told her she had dust on her head, just being polite, and she completely freaked out and didn’t let you in!” Wheatley was monologuing again, this time to Chell. Her brow furrowed for a minute, before she made a face of realisation. Putting the cores down, she started signing.

Wheatley just stared at her. “I know that’s sign language, luv, but I don’t understand it.”  
Chell rolled her eyes and went to ask GLaDOS to install a translator in Wheatley so she could talk to him. Well, sign. Again, she knocked on the door, and again, GLaDOS screamed at her not to come in. 

She rolled her eyes and decided to give GLaDOS some space, instead picking up the cores and walking back to her relaxation chamber to sleep. It was night time, right?

The next day, GLaDOS was still being adamant about not letting Chell into her chamber, so, with nothing better to do, Chell planned to go up to the surface for a walk. However, as she walked through the hallways of Aperture, she heard a noise. Being the stubborn, inquisitive soul she is, she followed the noise to its source. 

The source turned out to be a seemingly empty room above a ventilation shaft. It had coffee mugs over every inch of the floor, for some reason. Coffee mugs on the floor, and drawings on the wall. A drawing... of her?

She heard a small whimpering noise from under a blanket in the far corner. It was times like this she wished she had a voice so she could call out and let whoever was under there know that she meant no harm. Eventually, she settled for quietly knocking on the wall.

A fearful yelp came from under the blanket, then it quivered in silence. She didn’t want to alarm the person further, so she picked up a paintbrush from a pot of paint that was lying on the floor and wrote on the wall.

My name is Chell. I’m sorry for scaring you. I mean no harm.

With that, she left the room, and went to do some tests, as GLaDOS was still sanitising her room. 

Over the next few days, while GLaDOS worked on a new project, Chell kept going back to visit the hidey-hole. Normally, there was no-one in there, but one day, she walked in to see a man sitting there with the blanket wrapped around his shoulders. 

She waved, and he looked up with a fearful expression. *Hello.* she signed. *Can you understand me?*  
His face brightened. “H-hello.” He sounded terribly nervous, so Chell crouched down so she wasn’t standing over him, and signed *What’s your name?*

“Doug. Doug Rattmann. You’re Chell, aren’t you?”  
She nodded, and gently reached out her hand to comfort the scared man. He flinched back at first, but then reached out his own hand to touch hers. As soon as their hands connected, Doug grasped her hand as though she was the only thing keeping him from falling off a cliff.  
“You’re real!” She nodded, and he reached forward and pulled her into a hug. 

Now, Chell was the one to almost flinch, as she wasn’t very used to physical contact. Eventually, she relaxed, and let herself pat the man on the head. 

Every day for the next week, she went back and spent time with Doug. She liked him a lot, she thought, snuggled in his arms one day. Maybe she even loved him.

“You want to do what?!” GLaDOS leaned her head down to Chell’s head height and focused on her hands.  
*I want to date someone else, as well as you pair.*  
“And did you ask Wheatley as well?”  
Chell rolled her eyes. How stupid did GLaDOS think she was? Of course she’d already asked Wheatley.  
*Yes, I asked him, and yes, he’s fine with it.*  
GLaDOS made an exasperated noise. “Who is it?”  
After some quick explaining on Chell’s part, GLaDOS understood who she meant. “Him? He’s been drawing all over my facility for years. I suppose, if you really like him, then go for it. It’s not like it’s any of my business. It certainly isn’t my careful work he paints over.

Chell sighed at GLaDOS’s passive-aggression, but smiled and blew her a kiss as she left. 

Looking into her eyes, Doug smiled. “I- yes! I’d love to be with you!” He threw his arms around her and she kissed his cheek. Quickly, she remembered something and signed. *If I’m going to ask you out, I need to do it properly.*  
He tilted his head to one side, as Chell turned to his Companion Cube, leaned down next to it and signed.  
*Cube, do you mind if I ask Doug out?*  
Doug smiled and said “She says she doesn’t mind, and that she reckons it will do me good to not be alone- Cube! You didn’t need to say that!”

Chell doubled over in silent laughter, before patting the cube and standing up, wrapping her arms around Doug.  
“I love you” He muttered into her shoulder, relaxing for the first time in years.


	2. - Cakes And Confusion

Eventually, GLaDOS decided it was time to show Chell her current project. Which means that Chell was rather surprised when she went to visit GLaDOS, only to see her chassis dangling limply from the ceiling. She panicked, and ran forwards, before she heard a cough from the other side of the room.

“Ahem.”  
She whipped around and saw a humanoid android walking towards her. “Hello, Chell.”  
The android spoke in GLaDOS’s voice, and had white (presumably synthetic) hair. And honestly? She looked beautiful. Chell wasn’t stupid, she understood what that meant.   
*This is your project?*

The android GLaDOS nodded. “You don’t have to act so unimpressed”  
Chell rolled her eyes and walked over to her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her on the cheek.   
“Hmm.” GLaDOS made a small, unimpressed noise, before turning her head and kissing Chell on the lips.   
“Much better. You missed, the first time. Although, I wouldn’t expect much else from your inferior human vision.”

Chell instantly pushed her away.   
*Okay, we’re going to have to set some ground rules here. No talking while your mouth is occupied. I can see you don’t need to use your mouth, but no using the loudspeakers to communicate while you’re kissing me.*  
GLaDOS chuckled, covering her mouth.   
“Fine. Although it isn’t my fault you are so easily unsettled.”

They spent the rest of the day showing off GLaDOS’s project to the others. Atlas and P-Body had both looked fairly confused. Space, Fact, and Rick had all seemed fairly interested. Wheatley had thought it was super cool, and asked if GLaDOS could make an android body for him. The turrets, it turned out, shot at anything humanoid. Good to know. Doug had refused to leave his hidey-hole, and he didn’t want GLaDOS in there, but he did peek through a vent and say she looked pretty.

It didn’t take Chell more than a day to decide that she really liked GLaDOS’s new appearance. Not that she got to see much of it for another week, because GLaDOS had started making android bodies for all the cores. “Even if they don’t use them, it’s good for them to have options.” Was all that she’d said. Chell thought that was a weak excuse, but if GLaDOS wanted to be nice, she wouldn’t protest. 

Chell helped out as much as she could, but she was honestly more of a hindrance to the project, so she decided just to spend time with the other cores. Her days were normally filled with either sleeping or testing, and then she spent the nights taking Space Core up to the surface to see the stars. His childlike wonder was infectious, and soon it became a common trip for all the cores to go up and stargaze. Except Wheatley. He said he never wanted to see the stars again. 

Eventually, it was reveal time. GLaDOS finished all the androids and connected them to a small section of the mainframe. That should allow the cores to transfer in and out of their android bodies easily, without giving them too much power. (She was still paranoid, after all.)

Chell, of course, had to deal with the hilarity of 4 cores all learning to deal with having humanoid bodies at the same time.   
They all had their own appearances, and with them, their own issues with learning how to control the bodies.  
Wheatley was about half a head shorter than Chell, but very skinny and disproportionately lanky. He wore glasses (although he didn’t need them). He struggled with his hand-eye coordination.

Rick looked a bit older than Wheatley, with black hair and tanned skin. His problem was throwing himself head-first into everything. He’d had to have a lot of replacement parts made already.

Fact was about Chell’s height (so, taller than Wheatley, but shorter than Rick). He had black hair and  
wore glasses for cosmetic reasons (like Wheatley) No-one was quite sure if he was able to disconnect his voice box from his brain or if he just didn’t shut up.

Space was the shortest (and youngest). He came in about 10 years old, and didn’t even come up to Wheatley’s shoulder. He was also quite clumsy.

They were all really happy with their new bodies. Space, especially, was enthused to be able to run outside and stargaze without someone (Chell) carrying him.   
Wheatley was happy to be able to hug Chell properly, as he had arms now! Arms!

Now that she’d finished her project, GLaDOS found herself with a lot of free time, so she started baking. And discovered that baking is actually quite hard if you can’t just make a computer program do it. After the first five cakes (one of which had exploded. It was supposed to be lemon drizzle.) Chell refused to be the taste tester any more, due to one of the cakes almost burning a hole in her tongue. GLaDOS said her hand had slipped with the acid. 

Begrudgingly, GLaDOS installed tastebuds and a digestive system into the android cores so they could test her cakes for her. Of course, they didn’t need to eat for energy, but now they could. Luckily for GLaDOS, Wheatley was a willing cake-tester. Unfortunately he didn’t know anything about cake. 

“Oh, this one’s good, luv! Might need a replacement tongue though. I think you put too much acid in it. Maybe try this recipe with the type of acid you used in the last one? What was it, city acid or something?”  
He babbled on incessantly. “Citric acid.” GLaDOS muttered, turning back to her cake batter.   
“Yeah, that! Oh, have you had an idea? You look like you’ve had an idea. Oh, no, now you just look like you want to kill me. Please don’t.”

“Shut up.”

She would never admit it, but GLaDOS had actually grown quite fond of the little moron sitting in her kitchen, chattering away.  
“Oh. Right. Sorry. I’ll zip my lip.” Wheatley made a zipping motion and noise. About two minutes passed in silence before he made the same motion backwards. “Okay but I was wondering- mmmf!”

GLaDOS, who was definitely not in the mood to hear his babbling, had shut him up. By slamming her lips onto his. 

His initial reaction was shock. Then he decided he enjoyed it. Then he felt guilty and shoved her away. “What are you doing?!”  
She rolled her eyes. “Making you shut up for once.”  
Wheatley was blushing, and almost yelled. “No, what are you doing?! You’re taken! I’m taken! By the same girl! We can’t do this! We can’t hurt Chell like this!”

GLaDOS stared at him disparagingly. “There is no ‘we,’ moron. Just you. And me shutting you up.” With that soul-crushing statement, she turned on her heel and walked out of the kitchen. Wheatley stared after her, open mouthed, before running to find Chell. He needed a hug. 

He found her in her relaxation chamber, and knocked on the door. When she beckoned him in, he walked in, kicked off his shoes, and snuggled next to her on her bed.   
*What’s wrong?* She signed. 

His gaze fell. “I don’t know how to explain it, really, but basically, GLaDOS and I were baking, and maybe I was talking a little too much, and then out of nowhere she absolutely kisses me, and obviously I say we can’t do that because I don’t want to hurt you, and she says ‘there’s no we. Just you. And me shutting you up.’”

Chell noticed he was monologuing again. As an android, he obviously didn’t need to draw breath, and he was making full use of this fact. 

“So you see, I feel really guilty, like, I feel like I cheated on you even though I know I didn’t do it by choice. And I don’t mean to stir up trouble between you and GLaDOS but she started it and even though I kind of enjoyed it I never-“

He started sobbing, which was something he didn’t even know he could do. Chell calmly put her arms around him, reassuring him that it was alright. She honestly didn’t mind. She’d had her suspicions that GLaDOS had feelings for Wheatley for a while now, and honestly? She knew she’d be happy if those two ended up in a relationship. They both deserved more love.   
Eventually, Wheatley calmed down, but remained snuggled into Chell’s shoulder.   
*I’ll have a word with her, Wheatley. I promise. I won’t let her upset you.*

Chell stormed into GLaDOS’s chamber later on, glaring daggers at her robot girlfriend.   
*You!* She signed. *What the hell do you think you’re playing at?*

GLaDOS, currently in her chassis, leaned her head down. “I’m not playing at anything. All I did was kiss him. And since you spend half your time swapping saliva with that rat that lives in the walls, I’d say my actions were justified.”

Chell, even angrier now, signed furiously. *First of all, don’t call Doug a rat. Second, you know I don’t care that you kissed Wheatley. He came running to me crying because you basically crushed his heart. I didn’t even know he could cry! That’s why I’m mad.*  
She took a deep breath, calming down slightly.  
*Look, Wheatley’s sensitive. If you really like him, you can’t be mean. I know that worked on me, but he needs you to be nice. Even though that isn’t your strong suit.*

“Well now you’re just being rude.” GLaDOS nudged Chell with her head, causing her to fall over. *Hey, that was unnecessary.* With as little grace and dignity as she could muster, Chell clambered to her feet and left, shooting a glare at GLaDOS as she left. 

“Hello, test subjects, bots, and random scientists that are somehow still alive.”  
While Chell was sitting in Doug’s hideout the next day, the facility’s PA system burst into life, blaring loudly enough that everyone could hear it. Atlas and P-body stopped testing to try and figure out where the noise came from. The cores stopped their argument and looked at the nearest camera. Doug and Chell both got rather startled and then started to laugh. “I’m sorry, ‘random scientists that are still alive’? Does she mean me?”   
*Unless there’s another scientist hiding in this building, I guess she does.*   
Chell thought it was quite refreshing to see Doug laughing, especially about GLaDOS. He was terrified of her, but, in his den where she couldn’t reach, with Chell, who he trusted, he wasn’t too afraid.

GLaDOS’s voice continued from the speakers. “Now that I have your attention, I have an apology to make.” This shocked everyone into stunned silence. GLaDOS never apologised.  
“Wheatley, I’m sorry. I... shouldn’t have said that to you. I have something else to ask you, but I would prefer to do that in private, so come to my chamber as soon as possible.”

Chell stuck her head out of the hideout and gave a pointed look to the nearest security camera.   
“Fine... Please come and see me.”  
A satisfied nod, and Chell retracted herself into Doug’s room. 

“Is she going to ask him what I think she’s going to ask him?”  
Chell nodded.   
Doug chuckled. “Are you telling me you set your boyfriend up with your girlfriend?”  
Again, she nodded. *Yes. She really likes him, actually. She even made him a cake.*

Meanwhile, Wheatley was still processing what he’d just heard. The other cores were arguing again. Well, Fact and Space were. “Space is real! I’ve been there!”   
“Space. Does not. Exist!”

Rick came up behind Wheatley and clapped him on the shoulder. “Popular with the ladies, ain’tcha? Wish I was you.”  
Wheatley shook his head. “It’s not- it’s not like that, not with GLaDOS. Just Chell. That’s all. She’s all I need anyway. Right?”  
Rick just shrugged. “I dunno, man. Sounds like you’re tryna convince yourself. Anyways, don’tcha gotta go? GLaDOS asked for you, ‘member?”

Wheatley was deep in thought as he walked up the halls to GLaDOS’s room. He didn’t know what she wanted, and he didn’t want to know. She wouldn’t want romance. She wouldn’t want to kiss him again. Not that he wanted any of that either. Just because Chell dated more than one person didn’t mean that Wheatley needed to. He was happy with just her, right? Right?

He raised a hand to knock on the door to her chamber, hesitated, took a deep breath (even though he didn’t need to.) and raised his hand again. Before he could knock, the door opened. GLaDOS was standing there, wearing a tight black dress. Her usual lab coat and pencil skirt combo was nowhere in sight. “You came. I wasn’t sure you would.”

“Erm... yeah. I’m here. You look great. Love the dress. Now I feel really underdressed actually.” He cast an eye over his own clothes. A shirt with sleeves rolled up, a blue sweater vest, and jeans. He really was underdressed compared to her. 

“What are you waiting for? Come in.” He followed her across the room, to where there were two chairs standing, with a companion cube in between them. On that companion cube was a cake. Nervously, Wheatley sat down. He wouldn’t put it past GLaDOS for this all to be some sort of trick. After all, she’d never done anything to him for taking the facility. Well, other than sending him into space. He had, of course, apologised for that incident, but maybe she still had some form of revenge in mind. 

“Take it.” He was broken from his reverie by GLaDOS handing him a slice of cake. “I made it specially for you. Recipe 524, but with citric acid rather than muriatic acid. Your idea.”

He took the cake and sniffed it suspiciously, checking for any... unorthodox ingredients.   
“It’s safe, I promise.”

Suspiciously, he scooped a forkful of cake into his mouth. “Oh, it’s really good!”   
She chuckled. “Did you really think I would poison you? Chell would never forgive me.” Quietly, she added, “I don’t think I’d ever forgive me.”  
Wheatley looked up. Through a mouthful of cake, he managed to say “wahs wuzzat, uv?” Which GLaDOS gathered to mean, “What was that, luv?”

“Nothing, nothing. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you.”  
Wheatley swallowed his cake and said “You said you had something to ask me.”

“That’s right. I do have something I want to ask you. You know, I presume, that Chell is dating 3 people?”  
She leaned forwards, lacing her fingers together. He nodded.  
“Well,” she continued “have you ever considered doing that? Dating more than one person?”  
He blinked. He blinked again. “Well, yeah. I guess I have considered that. Dating someone else as well as her. The thought’s crossed my mind, I’ll admit.”

She reached one slender hand across the table and held her forefinger to his lips to make him stop monologuing. “Who?”

“Well... Erm... don’t kill me, but... you.”


End file.
